News Wrap: Federal Reserve Paints Brighter Economic Picture

June 19, 2013 at 12:00 AM EST

527823610936109News Wrap: Federal Reserve Paints Brighter PictureIn other news Wednesday, the Federal Reserve estimated unemployment will fall a little faster than expected in 2013 and 2014. Also, the Internal Revenue Service is in the spotlight again, this time for its plans to pay bonuses to employees despite a White House directive to stop those payments under automatic spending cuts.2013-06-19 20:44:00disabled2365028960yBdprAafyZA200772200794http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/wall-street-cabinet-discredit-trumps-main-street-message/Does a Wall St Cabinet discredit Trump's Main St message?From the early days of his campaign, one of Donald Trump's rallying cries was to “beware of Wall Street.” But the president-elect’s Cabinet picks of Steve Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross are stalwarts of the financial establishment. Special correspondent Paul Solman speaks with banker-turned-journalist William Cohan about the relevance of their backgrounds and if the president-elect cheats at golf.2016-12-08 18:00:00http://newshour-tc.pbs.org/newshour/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/RTSHUXE-320x196.jpg2365911411qIZ-6stvt7o200181200208http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/news-wrap-u-s-unemployment-9-year-low/News Wrap: U.S. unemployment at a 9-year lowIn our news wrap Friday, the unemployment rate in November hit a nine-year low, dropping to 4.6 percent, as 178,000 new jobs were added and many people stopped looking for work. Also, House lawmakers overwhelmingly backed a nearly $619 billion bipartisan defense bill that would give troops their biggest pay raise since 2010 and prohibit the Pentagon from closing bases or the Guantanamo Bay prison.2016-12-02 18:00:00http://newshour-tc.pbs.org/newshour/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/RTSRJ2F-320x196.jpg2365907338poDHT439RkY200180200207http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/ohio-rally-trump-unofficially-announces-defense-pick-mattis/At Ohio rally, Trump ‘unofficially’ announces defense pickPresident-elect Donald Trump used a rally in Cincinnati on Thursday night to “unofficially” announce retired Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis as his secretary of defense, telling the audience to keep the news hushed. Meanwhile, at Harvard University's traditionally civil post-election forum, discussion between the Clinton and Trump teams of campaign tactics and the popular vote became heated.2016-12-02 18:00:00http://newshour-tc.pbs.org/newshour/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/RTSUABZ-320x196.jpg23659073209XKspwGhgx8

In other news Wednesday, the Federal Reserve estimated unemployment will fall a little faster than expected in 2013 and 2014. Also, the Internal Revenue Service is in the spotlight again, this time for its plans to pay bonuses to employees despite a White House directive to stop those payments under automatic spending cuts.

HARI SREENIVASAN: The Federal Reserve painted a brighter picture of the economy today. The Central Bank estimated unemployment will fall a little faster than expected this year and next. Chairman Ben Bernanke said that means the Fed may start scaling back its stimulus efforts later this year. He promised it will come in — quote — “measured steps” to reassure investors. BEN BERNANKE, Federal Reserve Chairman: We are in a more complex type of situation, but we are determined to be as clear as we can, and we hope that you are and your listeners and the markets will all be able to follow what we’re saying.

HARI SREENIVASAN: Bernanke’s words did little to reassure Wall Street today. Stocks fell sharply on fears that if the Fed curtails its bond-buying program, interest rates will rise and growth will slow. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 206 points to close at 15,112. The Nasdaq fell nearly 39 points to close at 3,443.

The Internal Revenue Service is taking new fire, this time over plans to pay bonuses to employees. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said it comes to $70 million dollars, despite a White House directive to cancel such payments due to automatic spending cuts. The IRS said it’s doing what it’s legally required to do under a union contract.

The U.S. Naval Academy charged three male midshipmen today with raping a female classmate and making false statements about it. Officials have said the accused were football players. The incident allegedly happened at an off-campus party a year ago. The Naval Academy has been under pressure to act in the case amid reports of growing sexual abuse in the military.

President Obama today sought to ease European concerns about U.S. surveillance programs. He met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, and said the monitoring of phone calls and Internet data is — quote — “narrowly targeted.”

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: This is not a situation in which we are rifling through the ordinary e-mails of German citizens or American citizens or French citizens or anybody else. And all of it is done under the oversight of the courts. And, as a consequence, we have saved lives.

HARI SREENIVASAN: Merkel said it’s necessary to find an equitable balance between security and civil liberties.

In Somalia, seven militants from the Islamist group Al-Shabab attacked the main U.N. compound in Mogadishu today. They detonated a car bomb at the building’s front gate, then stormed the site with gunfire and explosives. At least 20 people were killed, including all seven of the militants.

The biggest protests to sweep Brazil in more than 20 years showed no sign of ending today. Overnight demonstrations led to looting and vandalism. Today, some 200 activists blocked a major highway in Sao Paulo. Meanwhile, in Fortaleza, police fired tear gas to disperse 15,000 protesters who cut off a main road to the soccer stadium ahead of a tournament game. The demonstrators are targeting corruption, poor services and high taxes, at a time when Brazil is spending billions to host next year’s World Cup of soccer.

The number of refugees worldwide has reached an 18-year high. Data from the U.N. Refugee Agency today showed more than 45 million people were counted as refugees last year or displaced within their own countries. The civil war in Syria was a major factor, along with fighting in Afghanistan.

There’s encouraging news on a vaccine against cervical cancer. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported today that the HPV vaccine cuts infections among teenage girls by half. Officials said at the CDC — officials at the CDC said it underscores the need to have more girls get the shots. Right now, only about half of teen girls in the U.S. have had at least one dose. Only a third have had all three doses.

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